The Wellspring

When he was the lead singer for Blue Fringe, Dov Rosenblatt would hear shouts of adulation without hesitation from an array of female fans. With his new band, The Wellspring, the shouts might still be there, but there will be at least one change.

“Now they have two people to shout at,” Rosenblatt said.

That’s because he’s teamed up with singer/songwriter Talia Osteen and the pair share lead vocals and tight harmonies.

“It’s definitely very different,” Rosenblatt said. “This is the first time I’m not the only front-man and I really like it a lot. I’ve always loved harmonies and now we get to do them throughout.”

Osteen, who sang in an all-female Jewish trio called “Visions,” met Rosenblatt at a meeting in New York when he inquired about getting some of his music in films. A vice president of production for an independent film company, Osteen said she liked Rosenblatt’s music and soon suggested they work together on songwriting. Each one wound up moving to Los Angeles. They worked on the song “Waterproof,” about the wish of making oneself immune to heartache. There was one version with Rosenblatt on lead vocals, another version with Osteen on lead vocals and one where they shared the lead vocals. Both in their 20’s, the two planned to pitch it to a major artist, but then realized they should step up to the plate themselves.

“Neither of us intended for it to become a band,” Osteen said. “Everything just kind of snowballed. Everybody else was saying, ‘the songs sound good. Don’t give them away to anybody else.’ We realized we really had something.”

The Wellspring has two EP Release shows coming up. On Thursday, July 29, the band will perform at Rockwood Music Hall-Stage 2 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at 9 p.m. The group also performs at The Hotel Café in Los Angeles at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 1.

The five songs feature skillful harmonies, in a genre that is pop/folk with a dash of rock. “Waterproof,” has a chorus that is beautifully hypnotic with a tone that is reminiscent to The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Porcelain.” The catchy “Not Out Loud,” features an introspective hook that brings to mind the frustrating stagnation of not being able to share one’s feelings, perhaps out of fear of rejection. There are a few moments on the EP where Rosenblatt sounds like a less breathy Eliot Smith and Osteen sounds like a less quirky Regina Spektor. The first track, “Uncertainty,” shares the notion of water as an agent for discovery: “Here I am/toes right at the edge/of a new beginning, once again.” Osteen said the band’s name is partly inspired by the poet Khalil Gibran, who refers to “the hidden well-spring of your soul.”

Osteen said the group’s song lyrics “explore the gray areas that aren’t black or white.”

Blue Fringe, a widely popular American Jewish rock band, sold more than 30,000 albums, and was featured in the documentary, “The Chosen Ones.”

“Their music was already pop and contemporary and I loved what they did,” Osteen said.

She added that while the lyrics of The Wellspring aren’t religious in nature, they are spiritual and intended to be inspirational. Both artists say they are happy to be working with the other.

“He’s got such a good soul,” Osteen said of Rosenblatt. “He’s one of the best people I know.”

Rosenblatt returned the favor.

“She’s extremely talented, very driven and incredibly optimistic,” he said. “We’ve become close friends.”

The group’s website, www.welovethewellspring.com goes live on July 29 and tracks from the EP will be available on the site as well as on iTunes. - NY Blueprint

CD Release Shows Set for July 29 and August 1

The Wellspring weave a dream for everyone on their debut EP.

Due out on Thursday July 29th, the five-song collection swirls from sweeping melodies into ethereal harmonies that are as thought provoking as they are soothing. The Los Angeles duo of Talia Osteen and Dov Rosenblatt create wistful, soulful pop on "Uncertainty," while "Waterproof" is a transcendent and transfixing ballad. Their two voices color each of the five songs with vibrant textures, harmonizing at all the right moments. The band will play two shows in celebration of the EP's release—the first at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 in New York City on the album's release date and the second will take place at Hollywood's tastemaker haven, The Hotel Café on August 1st.

For Talia and Dov, all roads converge at The Wellspring. In 2009, Talia was working as an executive for a New York-based film production company. Dov, as the singer and guitarist of Fools for April, approached Talia about possible song placement. They instantly bonded over a shared love of music and months later, they began their collaboration. Dov explains, "We began writing with the intention of pitching the songs to other artists. Talia wisely insisted on doing a duet for 'Waterproof'. It all snowballed from there. We just had this incredible chemistry, and we wrote a ton of songs in a short period of time."

Talia was able to draw upon years of poetry that she'd written for lyrical content, and Dov would match her sentiment musically. The first poem to evolve into a song was "Waterproof," and it shows just how poignant The Wellspring can get. “The song is about wishing for the ability to be numb to heartache; “waterproof” to the painful aspects of love,” reveals Talia. “But there’s a running theme in our music of taking a leap and risking getting hurt in order to have all of these wonderful feelings that are so worthwhile."

After Talia and Dov had recorded a multitude of demos (over only six months), they teamed up with producer Bill Lefler (Dashboard Confessional, Ingrid Michaelson) for the EP. The resulting tracks resound in a hypnotic fashion. "Oh New York" is a love letter to the Big Apple, while "Put Up A Fight" builds with palpable emotion. The Wellspring spout off the kind of poetic tunes the world could use more of.

On stage, these songs truly come to life. Dov exclaims, "During the live show, we kick up the energy a bit. The harmonies really stand out. To me, there's nothing like that."

Dov and Talia will be embarking upon a national tour this fall and winter. Sponsored by LastMinuteTravel.com, the band will bring their one-of-a-kind sound all over the U.S. and beyond.

Ultimately, The Wellspring want to provide some hope through music. Their songs are catchy, but have twists that are unpredictable. Their music and stories are accessible, but substantial. Talia concludes, "Our songs mostly come from our own experiences, but there is something universal in all of it. The hope is that through revealing a piece of ourselves, our music will connect with others in a meaningful way." – Rick Florino
- ArtistDirect